Carter Anderson, Author at Cass Health

The November session of Healthy U will focus on MyChart, presented by Cass Health Chief Information Officer Mitch Whiley, with other staff on hand to help with any MyChart related questions. This session will be on Thursday, November 21 at noon in Conference Room 2.

MyChart is a secure online tool that allows patients to manage their health information and communicate with their healthcare providers. During the presentation, Whiley will show patients how to navigate within MyChart to access information like visit summaries, test results, medications, and immunizations. Attendees will also learn how to access their billing summaries, how to use E-Check In, and how to manage proxy access to their MyChart account for family or caregivers.

Space is limited! A free boxed lunch is provided for all attendees, so reservations are required. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat. For more information about Healthy U, visit casshealth.org/healthyu.

ATLANTIC—The Cass Health Foundation is hosting their inaugural Handbag Bingo Night on Thursday, November 14 at Bluebird Hill. This new event will wrap up the Cass Health Foundation’s 2024 campaign to purchase endoscopy equipment.

Cass Health Community & Guest Relations Director Beth Spieker spoke on the anticipation of this new event saying, “This is a unique, fun ladies’ night out complete with delicious food, bingo, and great prizes including designer purses. Best of all, this final event wraps up our successful 2024 campaign, and we’re so close to our goal thanks to the generosity of our community.”

Each $50 ticket for the evening includes dinner, six bingo cards per game for all ten “regular” games throughout the night, and 5 raffle tickets for the purse raffle. Bingo game winners will earn extra raffle tickets to enter for a chance to win a purse of their choice at the end of the night. Registration begins at 5:30 pm, with dinner at 6:00 pm, and bingo to follow. Stay tuned to Cass Health on social media to see the prizes that will be featured at the event.

Tickets to the event are limited; both single tickets and table sponsorships are available. For more information, please call Beth Spieker at 712-243-7545 or visit casshealth.org/bingo to view the details or pay online.

Atlantic, IA – Every year between October 15th and December 7th, Iowans on Medicare have the opportunity to review and make changes to their drug or Medicare Advantage plan.

The Part D and Medicare Advantage plans can change their coverage, premiums, co-payments and provider networks every year. It is important that Iowans on Medicare use this time to review changes to their current plan and compare with plans available to them in 2025.

This open enrollment period will be an especially important year for Medicare beneficiaries to pay attention to changes in their current plan and compare alternative options. With the implementation of a $2,000 cap on prescription drug copayments in 2025, it is anticipated that there will be significant changes to plan premiums, deductibles and formularies. Resources are available through the Iowa Insurance Division to compare plans and make an informed decision.

The Senior Health Insurance Information (SHIIP) program is a free, confidential and unbiased service offered by the State of Iowa. SHIIP volunteers provide one-on-one insurance counseling and assistance at no cost to Medicare-eligible individuals, their families, and caregivers. SHIIP also provides community outreach and education on Medicare financial assistance eligibility. SHIIP services are sponsored locally by Cass Health.

“The SHIIP program has a great track record for saving Iowans money and helping them with Medicare questions and problems. In 2023, the program served more than 40,000 Medicare beneficiaries and saved clients in Iowa millions of dollars,” shared Kristin Griffith, the SHIIP-SMP Director.

For SHIIP assistance locally, call Cass Health Community & Guest Relations Director Beth Spieker at 712-243-7545.

###

Atlantic, IA – The October session of Healthy U will focus on cardiology care presented by Kristin Babb, PA-C. This session will be on Thursday, October 17 at noon in Conference Room 2. Babb will discuss cardiology topics common amongst older adults such as blood thinners, heart disease, and available treatments.

Babb provides care in the Cass Health Specialty Clinic. She is board certified through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and is licensed by both Arizona and Iowa. She received her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies from A.T. Still University, AZ School of Health Sciences in Mesa, Arizona in 2006. She has worked in cardiology for more than 16 years, and she has previous experience in emergency medicine as well.

Atlantic, IA – The August session of Healthy U will focus on planning for the future, presented by Cass Health Care Coordinators Megan Bierbaum, LMSW and Tiara Zemanek. The session will be on Thursday, August 15 at noon in Conference Room 2.

The Care Coordination team will touch on topics common amongst older adults as they plan for their futures, such as home health services, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, Power of Attorney, living wills, and outlining the Iowa Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment. This session’s goal is to equip older adults with this important information, so they can make decisions that are best for their health, their family, and their future.

Atlantic, Iowa – The Cass Health Med Spa is hosting an open house on Thursday, August 8 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Visitors will be treated to Med Spa tours, exclusive discounts, raffle drawings, and refreshments.

Dermatology provider Lace Sindt, ARNP provides care at the Med Spa and will be on hand to answer questions and showcase the newly renovated space. Lace has worked in aesthetic dermatology since 2009, including the management of two medical spas. Maddy Peppers, RN and Brenna Irlmeier, RN will be doing live demonstrations of the SkinPen and VI Peel treatments.

The Med Spa offers services such as Botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels, and facial resurfacing treatments. The Med Spa also carries a wide range of medical grade skin care products from Skin Medica and EltaMD. For patients interested in the treatments and services, the Med Spa offers free consultations.

The Med Spa is open the second and fourth Thursday of each month, and appointments are required. Appointments can be made anytime online through the patient portal found at casshealth.org/medspa or by calling 712-243-7500.

The public is invited and welcome to attend; all attendees are asked to enter through the Main Entrance, and either take the main staircase or elevator to the second floor to access the Med Spa.

Atlantic, IA— Cass Health is excited to announce the founding of the Cass Health Nurses Honor Guard. Cass County is now the fifteenth county in Iowa with a local chapter.

Founded in 2003, this national organization has more than 250 groups across the United States. The Nurses Honor Guard is a volunteer program made up of current and former nurses that attend the services of nurses who have passed away, as well as parades, honor walks, living tributes, and more. The Nurses Honor Guard dresses in the traditional white uniform, complete with a cap and cape. During a funeral service, the ceremony is brief; it takes about 5 minutes and consists of reciting the Nightingale Tribute and laying of a white rose, symbolizing the nurse’s dedication to the profession. After the Nightingale Tribute is recited, a triangle is rung after a roll call for the nurse. The nurse’s name is called three times, and the triangle is rung after each call of the name. After the roll call, the words are spoken that the nurse is officially released from their nursing duties. A lit Nightingale lamp is carried up at the beginning of the ceremony and is then extinguished and presented to the family.

Cass Health’s Director of Nursing Supervision, Sara Beth Jones, RN, BSN started the local chapter after hearing about it through social media.

“After seeing a service being held, I did a deep dive into searching for what chapters we have in Cass County, only to discover we did not have one,” Jones said. “I was immediately touched and felt moved to be a part of something to honor both living nurses and those who have passed on. Being a part of this is very rewarding.”

Current or former nurses interested in joining this volunteer organization can call 712-243-7575 for more information.

ATLANTIC, IA – Cass County Public Health will host a new session of A Matter of Balance beginning Monday, June 10. This free class is designed to help decrease falls and help older adults manage their fears about falling.

A Matter of Balance is an award-winning program to help older adults learn to manage their concerns about falling, make changes to reduce the risk of falling, and increase their physical activity. It includes 8 weekly two-hour sessions for a small group of 8-12 participants led by trained facilitators.

Cass County Public Health has been offering this program since 2018 because falls among adults aged 65 and older are common, costly, and preventable. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury for adults ages 65 years and older, with 1 in 4 older adults reporting falling every year. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults ages 65 and older. The age-adjusted fall death rate increased by 41% from 2012 to 2021. Over 30% of older adult Iowans reported a fall in the past year, totaling over 157,000 individual older adult falls.

For more information, or to sign up, call Cass County Public Health at 712-243-7443.

Atlantic, IA – Cass Health’s next session of Healthy U will feature Kasey Meneely, DPT discussing LSVT BIG. The session will be held Thursday, February 15th at noon in Conference Room 2.

LSVT BIG is an intense one-on-one training program for people with Parkinson’s disease or other neurological conditions, with an emphasis on the quality and largeness of movement. LSVT BIG helps improve a patient’s physical abilities, and therapy sessions focus on a specific routine of daily BIG exercises, walking with BIG movements, and incorporating these techniques into patient identified, difficult daily tasks to promote more confidence with balance and movement. As an LSVT BIG certified clinician, Meneely works with many patients who live with Parkinson’s disease and other neurologic conditions that impact how confident they feel with movement during everyday tasks.

Meneely graduated from Creighton University in 2016 with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She offers a full spectrum of care within physical therapy, but has special interest in neurological disorders, pelvic floor and pre/post-natal health, and acute inpatients. Kasey is licensed and board certified by the Iowa Board of Physical & Occupational Therapy and is a member of the Iowa Physical Therapy Association and the America Physical Therapy Association.

Atlantic, IA – Cass Health and Adair County Health System are pleased to jointly announce that Dr. Marcela Pineda will be offering an obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) clinic at Adair County Health System in Greenfield, Iowa. Dr. Pineda will provide care to patients on the first Wednesday morning of every month.

“Cass Health continues to grow as the regional center for obstetrics care, and Dr. Pineda is one of the primary reasons behind that growth. With her outreach clinics in Red Oak, Corning, and now Greenfield, more women in southwest Iowa can receive obstetrics and gynecology care at a location that’s convenient for them. Being able to deliver care close to home increases the safety and health of our rural communities. We are proud to contribute to the well-being of our family, friends and neighbors,” said Chief Operating Officer Amanda Bireline.

Catherine Hillestad. CEO of Adair County Health System stated “We are extremely excited to have Dr. Pineda come to ACHS. We know she will be an amazing asset to our community.”

Dr. Pineda currently provides comprehensive obstetrics and gynecology care for women of all ages at the Atlantic Medical Center, Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, and Corning Medical Clinic. She completed her residency at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York, and she obtained her medical degree at Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala City, Guatemala. She was the recipient of the Striving for Excellence Award and Recognition by Hospital Centro Medico Guatemala for outstanding performance as a Medical Resident. Dr. Pineda is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Appointments with Dr. Pineda for all clinic locations can be scheduled by calling 712-243-2850.